Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-04-16
GERONIMO.
what our Aboriginal Excursis.ists to Florida are Doing. and How they En- joy Their Baaishn.at.


 Florida, Fas recently visited by Q cor
 respondent of the New York Tribun 3
 who gives the following interesting de-
 tails concerning the Apsches:
 Fort Piokens, sItusted at the extreme
 western end of Santa Rosa island, and
 opposite to Fort Barrsncas on the msir
 land, commands the entrance to the Bsy
 of Pensacola, the best harbor of tbe
 United States on the Gulf of Mexico
 and the seat Oi rapidly growing com
 merce. Geronimo and fourteen com
 patriots arrived at Fort Pickers oa the | 18th of October, 1886. and were followed
 ID the course of s few days by the two chiefs Mangus and Natchez. Their
 women and children had previously
 been forwarded to Fort Marion. St Augustine. where they are now confined.
 The seventeen Indians are held under
 military guard, consisting of fifteen eu-
 listed men belonging to the Second
 United States Artillery and under .be
 immediate command of Lieutenant [
 Chss- F. Parker. Under other circun-
 stances this insignificant force might be
 altogether too small. On his native ACoaa tAC bulCA uCHDCEhEc AQhCuH
 would scarcely hesitate before attempt ing to overpOwer and slsy his iailers
 Here be IS surrounded by vast bodies Of salt water which inspire 8 superstitiOrs dread which he has not yet been able to overcome. For a long time be declined to venture bis precious body anywhere near the beach, Whether be be able to swim or not, there IS but slight probs- bility of any nststory effort to escape. In addition to the imaginary terrors of the waves there are sundry real ones In the shape of man-eatinR sharks, Co which the toughest sborigine would be a delicious morsel, and that are teartully prompt in snspping at opportunity.
 With few exceptions all the captives are under size. The epidermis is dark brorn-RlmOst black in some: the hair long, black, perfectly straight, and fan tastically bound by knots and banker chief about the head; eyes small, keen and black as jet; face broad and features sharp; hands and feet sufficiently small to satisfy We're De We're, and body thIn and 1.-the as that of the mountain lion; facial expression sinister, furslve and cunning-as becomes their past environment Five months of contact with civilization have developed latent possibilities, of which their reasonably neat and clean appearance Is an index.
 Three of the seventeen merit. or de merit special notice. These are Geroni- mo, Nstchez and Msngus. The former Is not as IS populsrly supposed, the hereditary chef of his tribe. Like Sitting Bull he IS a medicine nan, and like him chef of selection. Head and brain of his clsnsmen, his influence over them IS unbounded, Short and stout of fig ure, with large square head, high slant ing forehead, hooked Eose. piercing restless eyes. Ethiopian skin and hand of feminine size and sottness, he ex- hibits some amisble weakness hardly m keeping with bis reputed fondness for "har." Rarely does a visitsnt escape from his proximity without repeated hAndshaking, that may or may not im- ply sn invitation to call again. How old he is he does not know, but he does know that thirty-two years have passed away since he married his first wife. If this event occurred at the age of Is. when Apache braves generally marry, he must now be about 50. Geronimo IS a much-married man, having gone through the nuptial ceremony no less than five times. Two of bis wives gre now prisoners at St. Augustine. The hope of seeing them again is powerful incentive to subordinatIcn and prompt obedience. He and compsnio-s ought to be devoted husbands and parent. ;l conduct be in concord with the tender regularly transmitted from Fort Pickens to Fort Marion. The fol- lowing IS copy of one of GeronimO's ] letters to his two wives and son and l dictated, of course:
 My dear wives, Eaith-si-es-la and l Teue, and my son and daughter: Are l you st Fort Marions If SO how do YOU like it there? Have you plenty to eat and do you sleep and drink we'll? Send me letter and tell me all the news. l am very well satisfied here, but if | only had you with me again would be more SO, I work every day excepting l Sundays. It is very healthy to work. | My work is not hard. It consists ot l hoeing and rBking m and around the l fort. It seems to me the Great Father l and God are very closely united. I do | hope be will let us see one another sOoD. As sure as the trees bud and bloom in | the spring, so sure IS my hope of seeing | you again. Talking by paper Is very good, but when you see ones lips move, and hear their voice it IS much better. saw General Miles, heard him speak and looked into his eyes, and believed what he told me, and l still think be will keep bis word. He told me tha. I would see you soon, also see fine cOun- try and lots of people. The people and the country l have seen, but not you. The sun rises and sets here just the .Rms as in our country, but the water here IS salt. The government IS good, and does not like to See the Indian nm posed on. IL has given us pants, coats with pockets on, and enough to eat. I think of God, the president, and you ia he same light. l like you so well. When get your letter I wlll think we'll over it. I hope you think the same of ne ss do of you, I think you have influence with the sun, moon and stars. If the government would only give us SO we could support our eives-Ohl wouldn't it be fiue? We are It peace now, and by Gods help will emsin SO. There are seventeen of us lefe, and not one thinks or acts bad. Everybody is we'll and oonsented. ,hsito is 8 bad man. and has caused us ots of trouble. His tongue IS like the sttlesnake's-forked. Do not let him lear 6 word of this letter. Do what is ight, no matter how you may suffer. Write to me soon long letter. four husband. GERONIMO.
 NaicheZ, the true hereditary chief. is fine specimen of Indian manhood. over IT feet high, erect. well proportioned. rave and dignified under his veIght of hirty years The rest of the band treat i'm with pronounced respect, His yords are fes, and his dislike of that ierce light which beats upon royalty of .ll grades most emphatic.
 Msngus 10 sn nntrsctable savage. His rm IS still in baudsges from the effects f injury received while on his way to 'ensscola. When nearing that cIty, st be rate ot forty miles an hour, Msngus uddenlT r sprang through the car win low and vas stunned by sudden collis- on with the ground. Regaining con eIOuIness simultaneously with recap ure, he vas put in irons until the final estimation was reached. Then, 10 his irest Joy, the handcufs were removed.
 The dlngy old cssemeuts in the inte- TOT Of the fort each oonka,1Spr o Iar,a ] .